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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
A little girl with a scar on her back, which she truly believes is hiding her wings, is fostered by a woman with a scar in her memory, which she tries to conceal through the song, “Eleanor Rigby”, and a bird with wounded wing who needs to be nursed back to health, and find the strength to fly. Extraordinary Birds is a book emotional healing. It is a book that parks in your memory for days, whether it be the facts about birds, like crows are the smartest birds, and the bluebird's feathers are not blue, or the fleshed out secondary characters at school. In the end, we understand the author's statement, “Every living thing should have the freedom to be who or what they are.”
Beautiful and poetic, I spent the whole book wondering what really happened to this child that made her believe so strongly she was a bird. It did kind of explain but honestly in the end I just so badly wanted her to be loved and happy that I was really glad it DIDNT explicitly say what happened. I fell in love with the MC December and her foster mother Eleanor. I also loved the parallel idea of her transgendered friend, who was transitioning to a girl as December was "transitioning" to being a bird.
December is an 11 year old girl living in the foster care system, trust is not a word she believes. Her story is the only thing she believes, that one day the scar on her back will open up into the wings she knows are buried there and she can fly away, never to be left by anyone again. Until she meets Eleanor, who rehabilitates hurt wild animals. She might be able to help Eleanor find home for the first time.
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I know I'm not the target market for this book, but I absolutely loved it regardless!
December is in care, clinging to the idea (and well imagined) that becoming a bird will fix everything back together.
The tipping point is in a foster placement, when the chance to really spread your wings is scary, but exciting with it.
A terrific read, not too emotional or contrite, but sincere and life affirming. 5 stars from me!
December is in care, clinging to the idea (and well imagined) that becoming a bird will fix everything back together.
The tipping point is in a foster placement, when the chance to really spread your wings is scary, but exciting with it.
A terrific read, not too emotional or contrite, but sincere and life affirming. 5 stars from me!
I enjoyed this book and the diversity of its characters. The main character, December, was abandoned by her mom and goes from foster home to foster home. She’s convinced she’s a bird, and that her wings will emerge from the scars on her back. She even tried flying a few times, unsuccessfully. The book focuses on her story as she learns to trust Eleanor, her new foster mom, and begins to contemplate having a home.
I enjoyed the trans character Cheryllynn. I appreciate that the author did not outfit say that she’s trans, but gave little asides that lead you to the conclusion. Cheryllynn is brave, facing bullying each day at school by a time gr leader who used to be her best friend.
Why only four stars? I felt there were holes in the narrative. Suddenly there’s be a new realization for December that I felt came out of nowhere. I wanted a bit more of her backstory as well.
I enjoyed the trans character Cheryllynn. I appreciate that the author did not outfit say that she’s trans, but gave little asides that lead you to the conclusion. Cheryllynn is brave, facing bullying each day at school by a time gr leader who used to be her best friend.
Why only four stars? I felt there were holes in the narrative. Suddenly there’s be a new realization for December that I felt came out of nowhere. I wanted a bit more of her backstory as well.
December Lee Morgan is eleven years old. She has been placed in numerous foster homes over the past three years. December is convinced that the scars on her back are from where her wings once existed--and where they will break free from her human body again, returning her to her rightful form as a bird. When we first meet December she is, in fact, trying to practice flying by jumping from a tree. This escapade leads directly to December being moved to yet another foster home.
December is placed with Eleanor--whom the townspeople refer to as the Bird Whisperer. Initially distrustful of Eleanor, December remains committed to the story she has been writing of her life--the one in which she reverts to bird form and flies away, free. Eleanor's patience and steady hand--as well as her work with a special bird at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center--begin to give December hope that she may be able to have a home as a human girl after all. At school December meets Cheryllynn, another girl trying very hard to define who she is despite what others may think or say about her and finds in her an unexpected friend.
Extraordinary Birds is a sweet, loving story about a young girl's long journey to accept her past and not allow it to define who she becomes. December's voice is earnest and open. The metaphor of birds is used constantly throughout the story in an extremely effective way. Both December's and Eleanor's knowledge of birds provides a common language through which to communicate. Extraordinary Birds shows the reader, in a very tangible way, that life can hold pain, and loss and fear simultaneously with joy and laughter and a sense of belonging. It is a heartfelt story that doesn't feel like it's manipulating the reader's emotions. It was definitely a 4 out of 5 stars read for me.
December is placed with Eleanor--whom the townspeople refer to as the Bird Whisperer. Initially distrustful of Eleanor, December remains committed to the story she has been writing of her life--the one in which she reverts to bird form and flies away, free. Eleanor's patience and steady hand--as well as her work with a special bird at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center--begin to give December hope that she may be able to have a home as a human girl after all. At school December meets Cheryllynn, another girl trying very hard to define who she is despite what others may think or say about her and finds in her an unexpected friend.
Extraordinary Birds is a sweet, loving story about a young girl's long journey to accept her past and not allow it to define who she becomes. December's voice is earnest and open. The metaphor of birds is used constantly throughout the story in an extremely effective way. Both December's and Eleanor's knowledge of birds provides a common language through which to communicate. Extraordinary Birds shows the reader, in a very tangible way, that life can hold pain, and loss and fear simultaneously with joy and laughter and a sense of belonging. It is a heartfelt story that doesn't feel like it's manipulating the reader's emotions. It was definitely a 4 out of 5 stars read for me.
It feels like my heart was torn apart and then put back together again but like...not quite???
There is still work to do, Sandy Stark-McGinnis. This story of a lonely girl who wants to be a bird in the midst of a traumatic childhood needed more of a happy ending. As in, the happy ending was there, but I needed MORE of it. Give me 50 pages of this girl being happy with her adoptive mom and her soup and her bird that she freed and defeating bullies alongside her trans best friend.
We all earned it.
Bottom line: Sweet and sad! 3.5 stars
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tbr review
you may not know this about me but i'm a big bird fan. so hopefully that directly translates to me liking this book.
---------------
reading all books with LGBTQ+ rep for pride this month!
book 1: the gravity of us
book 2: the great american whatever
book 3: wild beauty
book 4: the affair of the mysterious letter
book 5: how we fight for our lives
book 6: blue lily, lily blue
book 7: the times i knew i was gay
book 8: conventionally yours
book 9: the hollow inside
book 10: nimona
book 11: dark and deepest red
book 12: the house in the cerulean sea
book 13: the raven king
book 14: violet ghosts
book 15: as far as you'll take me
book 16: bad feminist
book 17: a song for a new day
book 18: one last stop
book 19: to break a covenant
book 20: honey girl
book 21: check, please!
book 22: the subtweet
book 23: if we were villains
book 24: everything leads to you
book 25: you have a match
book 26: ziggy, stardust, and me
book 27: all the invisible things
book 28: heartstopper
book 29: boyfriend material
book 30: extraordinary birds
There is still work to do, Sandy Stark-McGinnis. This story of a lonely girl who wants to be a bird in the midst of a traumatic childhood needed more of a happy ending. As in, the happy ending was there, but I needed MORE of it. Give me 50 pages of this girl being happy with her adoptive mom and her soup and her bird that she freed and defeating bullies alongside her trans best friend.
We all earned it.
Bottom line: Sweet and sad! 3.5 stars
---------------
tbr review
you may not know this about me but i'm a big bird fan. so hopefully that directly translates to me liking this book.
---------------
reading all books with LGBTQ+ rep for pride this month!
book 1: the gravity of us
book 2: the great american whatever
book 3: wild beauty
book 4: the affair of the mysterious letter
book 5: how we fight for our lives
book 6: blue lily, lily blue
book 7: the times i knew i was gay
book 8: conventionally yours
book 9: the hollow inside
book 10: nimona
book 11: dark and deepest red
book 12: the house in the cerulean sea
book 13: the raven king
book 14: violet ghosts
book 15: as far as you'll take me
book 16: bad feminist
book 17: a song for a new day
book 18: one last stop
book 19: to break a covenant
book 20: honey girl
book 21: check, please!
book 22: the subtweet
book 23: if we were villains
book 24: everything leads to you
book 25: you have a match
book 26: ziggy, stardust, and me
book 27: all the invisible things
book 28: heartstopper
book 29: boyfriend material
book 30: extraordinary birds
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes